i never thought there'd be you
by TessaStarDean
Summary: A series of FlackAva drabbles. Ava Connelly is an OC from my stories Fighting for Salvation and Who Wants to Live Forever. Drabbles will not be connected.
1. Chapter 1

"I'm glad you called," Flack said quietly after they were seated.

Ava shrugged. "Well...you did kiss me first. I figured it was my turn to make the next move."

Looking across the table at him, she saw the relief in his eyes, and a hope that she had seen flashes of in the past few days. She knew that she had hurt him a lot when she pulled away, but she was determined to fix that.

"I didn't meant to push you too fast."

She gave him a small smile. "You didn't. I just...I never saw you coming, Don." Reaching out, she placed her hand on top of his. "Doesn't mean I'm not happy that I've got you, though."

He chuckled at that as the waiter brought them their wine. "I wanted to hate you, you know. When you first started."

"Because I took Angell's place?"

Flack nodded. "I was so pissed."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "So why were you so nice to me?"

He shrugged. "Guess my ma raised me right."

"Damn good thing for me," Ava whispered.

He blushed and ducked his head, making her smile even more.

Dinner was quiet and comfortable, without any of the awkward silences she had feared. Conversation between them was easy, talking about their friends and their dreams, and anything and everything that came to mind. Ava didn't even notice until the bill came that she had never taken her hand off of his, and it amazed her how at ease she was with him. It had been a long time since she had felt that way.

"Walk me home?" she asked as they walked out of the restaurant.

"Of course."

Giving him a shy smile and trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, Ava slipped her hand into his as they started to walk down the street. The night air was cool and fresh, a breeze moving across her face and making her take a deep breath. This was about as close to perfection as it could get, and she didn't want the night to end. But eventually they came to her apartment.

"I guess this is where I leave, huh?" Don asked.

Biting her bottom lip, Ava shook her head. "You're supposed to walk me home, Detective. That means to my door."

He grinned. "Of course."

The elevator ride was silent as they stood close together, their shoulders touching. When the doors opened, he walked her down the hall to her apartment and they stopped outside, finally facing each other.

"We have work in the morning," she finally said.

"Yeah."

"So we should probably get some sleep."

He nodded, stepping a little closer. Then he slipped his free hand behind her head, tangling his fingers in her hair and he kissed her. It was soft and perfect, just like the last time, but Ava had no intentions of running away this time. Instead, she let go of his hand and ran her palms up his chest until she reached his face, pulling him closer. His hold on her tightened and he lifted her off the ground just a little as he deepened the kiss and sent her head spinning.

By the time he finally set her back down, resting his head in the crook of her neck, Ava didn't know which end was up.

"Wow," she breathed. "That was one hell of a good night kiss."

She felt him smile against her neck, and then gasped slightly as he pressed a soft kiss to the skin there before standing up straight again.

"Have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Ava grinned. "Oh yeah."

Flack kissed her one more time and then headed back toward the elevator. "'Night, Connelly," he threw over his shoulder.

She just shook her head and pushed her key into the lock. "Good night, Don."


	2. Chapter 2

Ava smiled as she opened the door. "Hey, Messer."

He nodded, holding up two boxes. "I got pizza and beer."

Standing aside, she let him in before shutting the door. "Unfortunately, what you're lacking is a best friend."

Danny frowned. "Flack's not here?"

"He should be here soon. But he got caught up in a case..." She shrugged. "You know how it is."

He sighed, his eyes dropping down to her swollen belly. "And you can't even have a beer. But I guess you can still watch the game. C'mon."

Ava followed him into the living room, her brow knotted in confusion. "You're actually gonna let me watch? I don't have to hide in another part of the house and pretend that I'm not actually here?"

"Just sit down, Connelly."

She grinned as she took a seat next to him and he opened up the pizza box. "You know Don hates when you use my maiden name."

His grin matched hers. "Why do you think I do it?"

An hour later, Flack unlocked the front door and let himself into the house. He could hear the game playing from the living room, and he headed straight there, hoping that Danny had at least saved him a cold beer. But when he got there he stopped, a smile tugging at his lips at what he saw there.

"You comfy, Messer?"

Danny looked up at him and glared, but Flack could tell there was no heat behind it.

"Your pregnant wife passed out on me. You gonna come get her or what?"

Don chuckled and walked over to where Ava was sleeping, her head on Danny's shoulder and her hands resting on her stomach. He leaned down and kissed her forehead before picking her up gently and carrying her to their bedroom.

Once he had her tucked in, he came back downstairs and took a seat next to his friend. They were quiet for awhile, just watching the Yanks and Sox go at it. Eventually, though, Danny handed him a beer.

"You know...Connelly's still pretty cool. Even for a crazy pregnant chick."

Don glanced over at him. "You're never gonna call her Flack, are ya?"

"You ever gonna stop callin' Montana Monroe?"

Flack thought about it for a second and then took a sip of his beer. "Good point."


	3. Chapter 3

Don let his fingers trail over her skin, lingering on her left shoulder before he leaned down and softly kissed her there.

"Do you ever hate your scars?" he asked quietly.

Ava frowned at him, pulling back slightly. "Do you hate my scars?"

He shook his head, realizing that that had come out wrong. "No...I mean..."

She could see how flustered he was, and the way he kept shaking his head. He only did that when he couldn't make the words come out that he wanted to say. Reaching out, she placed her hand over his, entwining their fingers.

"They give me hope," she whispered.

He looked up at her with such curiosity that she couldn't help but smile at him. "How?"

Ava shrugged. "They show me what I've lived through. What God has brought me through. And if he can bring me back from bullets and knives and fires...he can bring me through anything. And he did it for a reason." Tears started to fill her eyes. "I could have died so many times, Donnie. But instead he pulled me through, and he brought me to you. That's what I think of when I see my scars."

"I never thought of it that way."

She moved her hand up until she could run her fingers through his hair. "Do you have scars too?" she asked quietly.

Don nodded, and after a moment's hesitation, he sat up on the couch and pulled his t-shirt off. Ava immediately saw the scar on his torso, and she reached out to gently run her hand over it.

"It was a bomb," he said, his voice thick. "It ripped me apart...from the inside out..."

She leaned forward and kissed his chest, and she could feel the way he was shaking. They had never been so emotionally intimate before, and it made her forget the fact that they hadn't been so physically close yet either.

"But you made it through," she whispered.

Don nodded, taking her face in his hands and kissing her softly before wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I've always been ashamed of it. Before."

"And now?"

He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Now it gives me hope," he murmured.


End file.
